The Business of Writing
A visit with my muse26 total reviews
Comment from mfowler
Now, I get the prompt. This is a brilliantly conceived and beautifully constructed piece. It's both entertaining and informative. Your dance of romance with this fickle Jake who ultimately grows from a pouting child to a parent of tough love, is very well realised via great storytelling and clever introspective thoughts. Some of your imagery jumped off the page and made me think, 'I wish I'd written that.' Favourites include:
I hardly noticed when spring began its slow strip-tease.
For weeks, Jake and I seemed to have lost the passion, interacting like an old married couple; comfortable in our boredom with each other.
The demands and wisdom of your final lines show this was written by a serious author. Thanks for a very entertaining read. Have a happy new year, you and Jake.
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
Now, I get the prompt. This is a brilliantly conceived and beautifully constructed piece. It's both entertaining and informative. Your dance of romance with this fickle Jake who ultimately grows from a pouting child to a parent of tough love, is very well realised via great storytelling and clever introspective thoughts. Some of your imagery jumped off the page and made me think, 'I wish I'd written that.' Favourites include:
I hardly noticed when spring began its slow strip-tease.
For weeks, Jake and I seemed to have lost the passion, interacting like an old married couple; comfortable in our boredom with each other.
The demands and wisdom of your final lines show this was written by a serious author. Thanks for a very entertaining read. Have a happy new year, you and Jake.
Comment Written 31-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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Thanks so very much for your gracious reply and generous stars.
Comment from Dean Kuch
Jake's right, Ingrid. You know that now, don't you? All of those ideas swirling around inside your head like leaves in a vacuum-less void. You have to write them whether he decides to stick around or not, and if you don't, he'll see to it that you're driven slowly insane. That's much the same way my muse works, only he's far more vicious and cruel about it when he wants to get down to brass tacks. He even escaped for a while, tormenting a few of the other poor, unsuspecting members of this fine little, tight-knit community of wannabe authors and best-sellers. He left me to write haiku, senryu and meaningless 5-7-5's when I really needed to be honing my manuscript for publishing, like your Jake made you do.
"The business of writing is no less important than the actual writing." No truer words have been uttered by one's muse, I should think. That Jake -- he's quite a guy!
Happy New Year!
~Dean
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
Jake's right, Ingrid. You know that now, don't you? All of those ideas swirling around inside your head like leaves in a vacuum-less void. You have to write them whether he decides to stick around or not, and if you don't, he'll see to it that you're driven slowly insane. That's much the same way my muse works, only he's far more vicious and cruel about it when he wants to get down to brass tacks. He even escaped for a while, tormenting a few of the other poor, unsuspecting members of this fine little, tight-knit community of wannabe authors and best-sellers. He left me to write haiku, senryu and meaningless 5-7-5's when I really needed to be honing my manuscript for publishing, like your Jake made you do.
"The business of writing is no less important than the actual writing." No truer words have been uttered by one's muse, I should think. That Jake -- he's quite a guy!
Happy New Year!
~Dean
Comment Written 31-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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Love the New Year wish. Thanks so much.
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My pleasure as always, Ingrid. ;)
Comment from forestport12
A muse who is your lover or a love affair with writing? I like all the subliminal or symbolic play this has. Your strength has always been how you do what I call "metamorph," a metaphor that fights off extinction and evolves into way more meanings. If none of this makes sense, I promise I will make sense tomorrow. I just got off the road with my working.
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
A muse who is your lover or a love affair with writing? I like all the subliminal or symbolic play this has. Your strength has always been how you do what I call "metamorph," a metaphor that fights off extinction and evolves into way more meanings. If none of this makes sense, I promise I will make sense tomorrow. I just got off the road with my working.
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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Both, my friend, both. Thanks for the kind words.
Comment from Donya Quijote
This was very entertaining and an all around fun read. Love the dialogue. It was very believable and really did a good job of bringing out the personalities of both characters. How do you do this? Reveal you secrets...
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
This was very entertaining and an all around fun read. Love the dialogue. It was very believable and really did a good job of bringing out the personalities of both characters. How do you do this? Reveal you secrets...
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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The answer to the question is 'practice.' Thanks for your generous stars and kind words.
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Actually that's not exactly true. Haiku may have from one to four lines, may be just one word, and can even be written in a vertical format. Today's haiku is not at all what we were taught in elementary school. Just so you know. Oh, and the 17 syllables in the maximum allowed, less is generally preferred. Some circles say that the best English haiku have around 12 syllables, best approximates the Japanese sound. So many rules and so many things to know, is it any wonder then why so many haiku are just plain and simply bad, most of mine included. LOL...
Comment from adewpearl
excellent use of dialogue that conveys well the attitudes of the characters conversing
good non-verbal communication to add to the emotion/personality of the speakers, like his devilish laugh
I'm still laughing over "edit" as that horrid four letter word LOL
I like Jake's no-nonsense attitude - we all, at times, need someone to kick us in the ass so we don't let our work "languish" :-) Brooke
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
excellent use of dialogue that conveys well the attitudes of the characters conversing
good non-verbal communication to add to the emotion/personality of the speakers, like his devilish laugh
I'm still laughing over "edit" as that horrid four letter word LOL
I like Jake's no-nonsense attitude - we all, at times, need someone to kick us in the ass so we don't let our work "languish" :-) Brooke
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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Edit is the cruelest four letter word I know. Thanks for the read and review.
Comment from Jay Squires
Sounds like you have quite a partnership with your muse, Ingrid. Good job! But I'm saying that to you, assuming your muse is resting up for the New Year celebration.
I didn't dress for the occasion.Why bother? [Lacking a space after "occasion"]
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
Sounds like you have quite a partnership with your muse, Ingrid. Good job! But I'm saying that to you, assuming your muse is resting up for the New Year celebration.
I didn't dress for the occasion.Why bother? [Lacking a space after "occasion"]
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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It is an intimate one, that's for sure. Thanks.
Comment from maggieadams
Ingrid, this is great...I love that jake is not capitalized. You have captured the essense of your passion and have shown the struggles of a writer on the cusp of making it....you are there, but it does seem overwhelming...the business side. I loved your paragraph about spring. This is a winner.
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
Ingrid, this is great...I love that jake is not capitalized. You have captured the essense of your passion and have shown the struggles of a writer on the cusp of making it....you are there, but it does seem overwhelming...the business side. I loved your paragraph about spring. This is a winner.
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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Thanks so much for the kind words and all the stars.
Comment from country ranch writer
A MUSE WITH AN ATTITUDE TO MAKE YOU GET YOUR WRITING PRIORITIES IN ORDER WOW HE IS A BOSSY THING HE BETTER BE CAREFUL YOU MIGHT FIND A WAY TO EDIT HIM JUST SAYING
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
A MUSE WITH AN ATTITUDE TO MAKE YOU GET YOUR WRITING PRIORITIES IN ORDER WOW HE IS A BOSSY THING HE BETTER BE CAREFUL YOU MIGHT FIND A WAY TO EDIT HIM JUST SAYING
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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No, I can't edit Jake out of my life. Thanks.
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LOL
HAPPY NEW YEARS
Comment from nancy_e_davis
Well it is certainly true. We can write about anything any time but the truly great poems are the ones that our muse drops in and gives us. My muse comes while I am asleep. LOL Nudges me awake and bugs me until I write it down. He is a night owl and I am a morning person. LOL Great story Ingrid!
:<) Nancy
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
Well it is certainly true. We can write about anything any time but the truly great poems are the ones that our muse drops in and gives us. My muse comes while I am asleep. LOL Nudges me awake and bugs me until I write it down. He is a night owl and I am a morning person. LOL Great story Ingrid!
:<) Nancy
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 31-Dec-2014
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Thanks very much.
Comment from gypsycaravan
Oh, what a bossy muse. This is a fantastic piece and, of course, yours are always spagless, leaving no annoying distractions for the readers. You really are the queen of metaphors and descriptive talents. Huge high five for this one. This must be the contest winner, for sure.
reply by the author on 30-Dec-2014
Oh, what a bossy muse. This is a fantastic piece and, of course, yours are always spagless, leaving no annoying distractions for the readers. You really are the queen of metaphors and descriptive talents. Huge high five for this one. This must be the contest winner, for sure.
Comment Written 30-Dec-2014
reply by the author on 30-Dec-2014
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I think I'll feed on that for a few days--queen of metaphors--I like it. Thanks for the stars.